Chapter 33: The Lie
After their conversation, Silent Duchess and Valley Lilly returned to their place.
Valley Lilly muttered to herself while walking,
"That's why he looked familiar…"
Silent Duchess glanced at her, slightly confused.
"Yes… I never thought he was alive," she replied calmly.
Before Valley could say anything else, they reached their hideout.
Suddenly—
"OH NOOO!!"
The hacker's voice echoed through the room.
Both of them froze for a second, then rushed inside. The hacker was panicking, stuffing clothes into a bag, almost on the verge of crying.
"What happened?!" Valley asked urgently.
"He found your transmitter!" the hacker blurted out.
Silence.
"Oh no… what do we do now?" Valley said, her confidence instantly dropping.
While the two were panicking, Silent Duchess stood there, completely lost.
"Wait… what transmitter? What is going on here?"
Valley and the hacker looked at each other.
Same braincells. Same guilt.
"You don't know?" Valley asked carefully.
"No. You never told me anything about a transmitter. Now explain."
"I told you—"
"No, you didn't."
"I mean… I thought about telling you… and I also thought I already told you…" Valley said weakly.
The hacker nodded in full support.
"Yes, same. We both thought that."
Silent Duchess stared at them like she was questioning her life choices.
"Continue," she said coldly.
Valley took a deep breath.
"Actually… I put a transmitter in his house."
"What?! WHEN?!"
Silent Duchess turned slowly toward the hacker.
"I can understand her not telling me—low brain capacity—but YOU?"
The hacker's head dropped instantly.
"Sorry…"
"Continue," she said again.
Valley scratched her head awkwardly.
"About two months ago… I was drunk…"
"How much did you drink?" Silent Duchess asked, narrowing her eyes.
"…Enough to think I'm a spy."
"…You ARE a spy."
"Exactly."
The hacker couldn't hold it anymore and started laughing.
Silent Duchess pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Incredible. I'm surrounded by idiots."
"Elite idiots," Valley corrected proudly.
Meanwhile…
Leo was tracking them.
"They were here… I'm sure of it," he said, staring at the screen.
"The signal stopped in the city," Nick added.
Smith pointed ahead.
"There's a café nearby. Name's… The Lie."
Leo smirked slightly.
"How fitting."
The three of them entered the café.
At the same time, Natasha and Jhosen were searching the nearby streets, scanning every corner carefully.
Back at the hideout—
Everyone was thinking.
Panicking.
Except Silent Duchess.
She suddenly snapped her fingers.
"I have an idea."
Valley and the hacker looked at her like she just discovered fire.
"What?"
Silent Duchess quickly started setting up multiple systems, connecting wires, screens, and devices together.
"What are you doing?" the hacker asked, confused but impressed.
"We're not running anymore," she said.
"We're misleading."
She turned to the hacker.
"Find the real owner of a café named Truth."
"…Truth?" he repeated.
"Yes. If they're at The Lie, we give them Truth."
The hacker grinned.
"Ohhh… I like this."
Within minutes, the system was ready. A fake network trail was created—redirecting signals, planting false locations.
Meanwhile—
Leo and his team were searching every inch of The Lie café.
"They were here," Leo said firmly.
"But they're not anymore," Nick added.
Leo's eyes darkened.
"No… they're playing with us."
Cut to—
A quiet corner in the same café.
Valley Lilly, Silent Duchess, and the hacker…
…were sitting calmly.
Drinking tea.
Peacefully.
Valley took a sip and smiled.
"Honestly… this tea is amazing."
The hacker nodded.
"Best decision ever. Panic later, tea first."
Silent Duchess leaned back slightly, completely composed.
"They're here," she said softly.
Valley froze.
"…WHAT?"
Silent Duchess took another sip.
"Yes. And they have no idea we're sitting right in front of them."
The hacker nearly choked on his tea.
"…This is insane."
Valley grinned slowly.
"I love it."
Inside The Lie café, Leo and his team continued searching.
"Check everything," Leo ordered.
Nick moved toward a corner where a system was left behind.
"Leo… you need to see this."
On a hidden table, they found a computer—still warm.
Smith frowned.
"This wasn't abandoned long ago."
Nick quickly checked the connections.
"It's all linked… every system… this is connected to the transmitter."
Leo's expression darkened.
"So they were here."
"Not just here," Nick added.
"They planned everything."
"Take it," Leo said immediately.
Without wasting a second, they gathered the computer and all connected devices.
"We analyze everything later," Leo said as they headed toward the exit.
Just as they stepped outside—
"smith?"
A familiar voice stopped them.
All three turned.
Realiana.
She stood there, slightly surprised but calm.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Smith blinked.
"We could ask you the same."
She smiled lightly.
"I just thought of trying this café… so I came."
Her eyes briefly passed over Leo—
But she didn't stop.
She didn't recognize him.
Or at least… she acted like she didn't.
Nick quietly took the systems and went to the car, sensing the tension building.
Smith and Realiana started talking.
Leo stood there.
Waiting.
Expecting.
Hoping she would look at him properly.
She didn't.
Finally, he stepped forward slightly.
"Realiana—"
She cut him off unintentionally, turning to Smith instead.
"Oh, by the way… who's beside you? Is he your friend?"
Silence.
Smith froze.
"…Realiana," he said slowly, "this is Leo."
A pause.
Then—
"Ohh… yeah… sorry," she said casually.
"We've met sometimes, right smith? I didn't see you around for… what, three months? I got a little confused."
Leo's jaw tightened.
A little confused?
That's all?
His eyes darkened, jealousy and anger mixing together.
"If that's how it is," he said coldly,
"then enjoy your tea… with your friend."
And just like that—
He walked away.
Angry.
Smith stood there, completely panicked.
What do I do now?!
Go after Leo?
Stay here?
Before he could decide, Realiana spoke calmly—
"If you want, you can go," she said.
He looked at her.
"We can talk some other day. We'll fix a date," she added with a soft smile.
"And bring Natasha too."
She handed him her phone and said to save Her number.
"I'll message you," she said.
Smith nodded, still confused, still processing everything.
Then he quickly left to follow Leo.
Realiana stood there for a moment.
Her calm expression slowly faded.
A faint, unreadable smile appeared.
"…Three months?" she whispered to herself.
Then she turned—
And walked away.